Abstract:
A wire-bonding substrate includes a curvilinear wire-bond pad. The curvilinear wire-bond pad is used in reverse wire bonding to couple a die with the substrate. A curvilinear wire-bond pad is also disclosed that is located directly above the via in the substrate. A wire-bonding substrate includes a first wire-bond pad and a first via that is disposed directly below the first wire-bond pad in the wire-bonding substrate. A package is includes a chip stack with a total die-side characteristic dimension, and a total substrate-side characteristic dimension that is smaller than the total die-side characteristic dimension. A computing system includes the curvilinear wire-bond pad.
Abstract:
A decentralized management model enables a plurality of interconnected modules to be managed and controlled as an integrated unit without requiring any one of the interconnected modules to operate as a fully centralized manager. One of the interconnected modules is configured to operate as a base module, which coordinates certain network management operations among the interconnected modules. Each of the interconnected modules is capable of sending and receiving management and control information. Each of the interconnected modules maintains a segmented management database containing network management parameters that are specific to the particular module, and also maintains a shadowed management database containing network management parameters that are common to all of the interconnected modules in the stack. Management and control operations that do not require synchronization or mutual exclusion among the various interconnected modules are typically handled by the module that receives a management/control request. Management and control operations that require synchronization or mutual exclusion among the various interconnected modules are handled by the base module.
Abstract:
A microlens of an inorganic material having a relatively high index of refraction is formed with a convex lower surface for refracting light from above through an underlying spacer layer to converge on a photodiode therebelow. The microlens and photodiode may be replicated in an array of such elements along with color filters and CMOS circuit elements on a semiconductor chip to provide an image sensor. The spacer layer, which has a relatively low refractive index, is subjected to a selective isotropic etch through an opening in an etch mask to define a concave surface that forms an interface with the convex lower surface of the microlens upon subsequent conformal deposition of the material of the microlens.
Abstract:
An address reporting technique for reporting address information in a distributed communication environment retrieves locally owned address information from each of a number of distributed address databases, sorts the address information according to a predetermined sorting scheme, and reports the sorted address information. Each address database is maintained by one of a plurality of interconnected modules. A reporting module reports address information by retrieving locally owned address information from its address database, retrieves locally owned address information from each of the other interconnected modules, sorts the address information according to a predetermined sorting scheme, and reports the sorted address information. The reporting module retrieves the locally owned address information from each of the other interconnected modules by sending a request message to the other interconnected modules and receiving a response message from each of the other interconnected modules including the locally owned address information from the module. A module that receives the request message retrieves locally owned address information from its address database, formats a response message, and sends the response message to the reporting module. The reporting module may indicate a starting address, in which case each module retrieves from its address database a predetermined number of locally owned address entries starting with a first locally owned address entry that is lexicographically greater than the starting address.
Abstract:
A novel optical path switching system, architecture and technique wherein light beam data traffic is to be switched by MEMS mirrors between source and destination nodes, and test ports are used to set up optical paths even before the real data traffic is propagated, with a combination of an electrical mirror-sensing feedback loop for controlling coarse mirror positioning, and an optical path power-sensing feedback loop for controlling fine adjustments in the mirror position.
Abstract:
A distributed address database management technique involves maintaining an address database by each of a number of interconnected modules. Each module maintains a number of locally owned address entries and a number of remotely owned address entries in the address database. Each module monitors the status of its locally owned address entries, maintains the locally owned address entries based upon the status, and provides the status to the other interconnected modules. Each module maintains the remotely owned address entries based upon the status received from the other interconnected modules. When a module adds a locally owned address entry to its address database, the module notifies the other interconnected modules, which in turn add a corresponding remotely owned address entry to their respective address databases. When a module purges a locally owned address entry from its address database, the module notifies the other interconnected modules, which in turn purge the corresponding remotely owned address entries from their respective address databases. Each module may periodically send a keep-alive message including a list of active addresses to the other interconnected modules, which maintain a persistence timer for each of the remotely owned address entries and purge a particular remotely owned address entry if the corresponding persistence timer expires before receiving a keep-alive message identifying the remotely owned address entry as an active remotely owned address entry. Upon receiving a keep-alive message, a module adds a remotely owned address entry for a particular address to its address database if such a remotely owned address entry is not already maintained in the address database. A module purges all remotely owned address entries from its address database if the module is reconfigured to operate in a stand-alone mode. A module purges all remotely owned address entries associated with a particular interconnected module if that particular interconnected module is removed.
Abstract:
A method for recording a geographical location from a docked mobile communication device that includes detecting a mobile communication device communicatively coupled to a docking device; and detecting that the mobile communication device is communicatively uncoupled from the docking device. Afterwards, the geographical location of the mobile communication device is recorded and stored in memory upon detecting that the mobile communication device has communicatively uncoupled from the docking device.
Abstract:
Connection between optical fibers and optical components within a semiconductor substrate. A lens is created at the front of a semiconductor substrate. A tapered hole is created in the back of the substrate exposing part or all of the surface of the lens. An optical component is formed or affixed at the front surface of the substrate. A volume of transparent adhesive is placed in the hole, followed by an optical fiber, which is thus coupled to the surface of the lens. A light guide is created on the front of the substrate overlying the lens to direct optical signals between the optical fiber inserted in the tapered hole and the optical component on the surface of the substrate.
Abstract:
A wire-bonding substrate includes a curvilinear wire-bond pad. The curvilinear wire-bond pad is used in reverse wire bonding to couple a die with the substrate. A curvilinear wire-bond pad is also disclosed that is located directly above the via in the substrate. A wire-bonding substrate includes a first wire-bond pad and a first via that is disposed directly below the first wire-bond pad in the wire-bonding substrate. A package is includes a chip stack with a total die-side characteristic dimension, and a total substrate-side characteristic dimension that is smaller than the total die-side characteristic dimension. A computing system includes the curvilinear wire-bond pad.
Abstract:
Connection between optical fibers and optical components within a semiconductor substrate. A lens is created at the front of a semiconductor substrate. A tapered hole is created in the back of the substrate exposing part or all of the surface of the lens. An optical component is formed or affixed at the front surface of the substrate. A volume of transparent adhesive is placed in the hole, followed by an optical fiber, which is thus coupled to the surface of the lens. A light guide is created on the front of the substrate overlying the lens to direct optical signals between the optical fiber inserted in the tapered hole and the optical component on the surface of the substrate.